Dispensing-closures for containers wherein the contents of a container can be discharged by opening a closure while the container cap is in place are known. These dispensing-closures are becoming increasingly attractive for the dispensing of various products such as relatively viscous products including hand creams, lotions, and the like. An essential feature of such dispensing-closures is that they can be readily opened and then tightly closed so as to be completely free from leakage around the opening. It is also necessary that the dispensing-closures are attractive to the consuming public and manufactured at a relatively low cost. Many designs for side dispensing closures do not form a complete seal when closed or have channels where product could leak when opened.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,439,985 discloses a dispensing closure having a body with a dispensing passageway therethrough and a hinged cover capable of manual operation to uncover or conceal the discharge end of the dispensing passageway. The portion of the body carrying the dispensing passageway has a lip for receiving the cover portion of the closure when the cover is in a closed position. The cover is attached by a pivot pin to the closure body which allows the cover to open and close in a shell-like manner. The friction present between the pivot pin and the cover is disclosed as allowing the hinged cover to be retained in any set position, i.e., either closed or open. The closure body has a recess located at the end of the cover which is away from the discharge end of the dispensing passageway so that, when the cover is raised to an open position, the back end of the cover can enter the recess and not prevent the upward movement of the cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,581 discloses a toggle type side dispensing closure. These closures have been commercialized for a number of years. While the closure forms a good seal in the closed position, there can be a problem with leakage in the open position. For instance, surfaces 37b and 22b must cooperate to form a seal as the toggle of the cap is opened.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,028 discloses a one-piece plastic dispensing cap which can be affixed to a bottle by a snap fit, screw threads, or the like. The cap has a swingable closure section attached to the cap by a hinge. The swingable closure covers a dispensing orifice located in the top of the body of the cap. The closure has a serrated edge which allows the user to push the closure away from the cap body so that material can be dispensed through the dispensing orifice. The inner end sidewall of the closure contains a "button" (denoted as 19 in FIG. 2) which fits over the dispensing orifice when the closure is in a closed position to provide an air-tight and fluid-tight seal between the closure and cap body.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,804,760 discloses a dispensing closure for a container discharge spout. The closure surrounds the spout on its top, front, and sidewalls. The closure is connected to the spout by a pivot pin attached to the rear of the spout. On the end opposite the spout opening, the closure has a raised lip which can be engaged by the thumb of a user to raise the closure and uncover the spout opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,303,971 discloses a container with a pivoting spout. The pivoting spout is located in a recess in a container top and has a dispensing orifice therein. When the spout is pivoted upward, the dispensing orifice is exposed. The sidewalls of the dispensing spout are provided with projections along the lower edge which cooperate with triangularly shaped portions in the wall of the spout housing which limit the pivot motion of the dispensing spout. When pivoted to a certain position, the projection located on the spout engages the edge of the triangularly shaped portion of the housing wall so that movement of the dispensing spout beyond that position is prevented.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,878,976 discloses a cap for a tube dispenser. The cap contains a recessed portion having a dispensing orifice therein and a swinging closure member for enclosing the dispensing orifice. The swinging closure is retained in the recess by the snap engagement between bosses on the closure sidewalls and recesses in the cap recess sidewalls.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,265,256 discloses a swingable spout structure for attachment to a container. The spout swings on trunnions to move between dispensing and non-dispensing positions. The spout has a passageway therethrough which is in alignment or not with the container dispensing opening depending on the position of the spout. The spout has a ledge attached to its lower end which serves to lock the spout in the upward position when the spout is swung to an upward position. Additionally, the spout has two ribs projecting from either side which lock the spout in a non-dispensing position when the spout is lowered. The ribs are latched by protuberances in the spout base.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,238 discloses a safety dispensing closure in the form of a swingable spout. The spout has grooves extending along its sidewalls which coact with a detent means located on the closure body. When the detent means fit into the spout grooves, the spout is held in a closed position.
U.S Pat. No. 1,797,869 discloses a bottle having a metering chamber and a stopper plug. One face of the stopper plug is an inclined surface which serves as a passageway wall when the material to be dispensed enters the metering chamber. By rotating the stopper plug, the inclined face of the plug also acts as a passageway wall when material is thereafter dispensed from the metering chamber.
Accordingly, although the art of dispensing-closures discloses various types of dispensing-closures including side dispensing closures which are openable and closeable while the closure cap is retained in place on the container, all are limited by one or more objectionable or undesirable features. These objectionable and undesirable features include being relatively complex in construction and, accordingly, costly; have limited application particularly with respect to products which are not highly viscous; questionable attractiveness and acceptability to the consuming public; possibility of leakage in the dispensing position; and, additionally, the closures of the prior art have a tendency for product build-up around the opening when used with a viscous product, leading to an unsightly appearance.